Glimpses of Heaven
by Unintended Muse
Summary: Rick realizes Heaven ain't just for dreams when he keeps waking up to a Daryl in his bed every morning.


The dream was always the first to pull away from the embrace it had held him in most of the night. Making him reach for it. And he would always reach for it despite knowing that his time in that miniature heaven was up. For tonight, anyway.

All Rick wanted was to stay there. Stay where things were nice and warm and safe. He wanted to keep the dream with him just a little longer, but the tighter he tried to hold on, the faster it slipped away.

Why couldn't he just stay? Why did he have to wake up? What was so goddamn important here that he had to leave paradise?

He woke up on sheets that were thin and scratchy as hell on a mattress so used by the previous occupants that he could actually feel the springs through it. Reality was a cold cell in a colder prison. The dead walking inside and out.

Rick opened his eyes. There was something in the way between him and the wall he could usually see across his cell. He kept blinking until that something cleared, but the confusion remained. He knew who it was – there wasn't any way he couldn't. The shape of his body. The smell that wasn't entirely unpleasant even though he refused to take a shower except every week or two. Unless too many people complained too loudly.

After a few minutes of staring, he shoved three fingers into Daryl's back. The archer moved with the pressure, giving a small grunt when Rick didn't take his finger away.

"You can stop that, dammit, I been awake longer'en you." Daryl arched his back a little more and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. His hair fell down in front of his face when he leaned to brace his arms on his knees.

Rick's voice didn't come out as too much more than a whisper. It had been easy to get out of the habit of talking when he didn't keep anyone close enough to talk to. "Why?"

Daryl glanced at him before staring down at the floor again. He gave a little half-shrug. That wasn't nearly enough for Rick, though, and he pressed the question again, pushing himself up on one arm. "Why?"

"Got a weird feelin' last night. Went for a walk 'n' found myself over here. You were makin' these sounds, but you stopped when I sat down." Daryl kept it so that his hair blocked his face from Rick. He, too, wasn't used to saying so much. It wasn't for the same reason, though. If there was anyone he'd make an exception for, it'd be Rick.

"So you just lay down?"

Daryl shook his head. His shoulders sagged down until he looked more like a kid stuck at the principal's office. "Fell asleep on accident the first time layin' over your legs. But you ain't that soft," he rubbed his right side, "so when I woke up, I just changed to up here. Ain't no big deal...me and Merle slept in the same bed back home up 'til he left, so..."

Silence stretched through the cell until, "I gotta go check traps."

Rick watched him leave. That was the first morning he woke up next to Daryl. The second, he was slightly less surprised. It had been the same dream, so whatever sounds Daryl said he'd been making, he was sure he'd done it again.

This time Rick woke up before him – a miracle in the best of times and damn near impossible as things were. Daryl was on his back, head rolled to the side so his face was to Rick. Even asleep, there was a bit of tension to him that never went away. Rick had the thought that he needed to do something – find some way – to make that tension go away. To find some way to make him give it up.

Rick brushed the thought away.

Daryl's nose twitched. Rick watched him for another minute. When it became obvious that he wasn't going to wake up, yet, Rick let his hand hover in front of Daryl's face.

Nothing.

Rick felt his lips pulling into something that could have been a little smile. It had been so long that there wasn't any way for him to be sure. Rick curled his middle finger into his palm to latch it with his thumb. He landed a gentle flick on Daryl's nose.

Daryl's whole body jerked and he jumped back, swatting at his own face. Rick grabbed his arm when it looked like Daryl was going to roll right off the small bed. "' fuck 'as that?"

Rick's lips started twitching. "Hell if I know...woke up when you jumped. Okay?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes and Rick was sure the man was going to call him out on what he did. But he didn't. Instead, he rolled up to sit with his legs hanging over the side again, back to Rick. It was obvious Daryl wasn't going to say anything more, so Rick said, "Found your way here again?"

Grunt. Daryl got up and swatted at his face again. All day, he kept doing that. Rick was getting out more. Doing more. Every time he got a look at the man, it wasn't long before he'd swat at his face again.

Rick damn near started smiling out in the open.

 _It's Thanksgiving and they are damned if three fully grown adults can't cook one damn dinner. Two of them being women, they should be fine. But the kitchen is full of smoke. Carl's got Judith outside and Rick is thanking God that it's good enough outside so they can air the house out._

 _Lori and her sister are getting the windows open while Rick is standing in the front door. He jumps at the ringing from his pocket and grabs his phone. "Dammit, Shane, I've been tryin' to call for an hour."_

 _"I said I'd be there, right?"_

Rick felt Daryl easing onto the bed and the dream broke. He inched his body back to give him more room. "Oh, come on...I just got to sleep, I can't have been making that much noise, yet."

Daryl grunted and that was it. Rick slipped back into sleep quickly and for the first time since Lori died, he didn't dream about anything.

Rick woke with a strong smell in his nose that his sleepy mind couldn't really put a name to. But he liked it or something in it. Not wanting to actually open his eyes and see, Rick started counting things off in his mind.

Wasn't perfume or soap or fresh laundry or...oh, shit. Rick could feel Daryl's warm body under his arm and leg. Daryl was going to kill him. There wasn't any question.

Rick fought to keep his breathing even as he cracked one eye open. Daryl was lying on his back, awake, with his thumbnail in his mouth. Okay, so he hadn't tried to kill Rick, yet, even though he was awake. Hadn't tried to get away, either. He was barely moving at all, actually. It was almost like he didn't want to disturb Rick.

It hit Rick that Daryl might be the most perfect person on the planet.

Taking a deep breath, Rick rolled to turn his back on him, still pretending to be asleep. What really surprised him was how it still took a couple minutes for Daryl to get up. As soon as he heard Daryl leave, Rick rolled back into the place he'd occupied. Daryl's heat seeped into his body and he took a deep – nearly intoxicating – breath of his scent.

"Knew you was awake."

There was a pretty good chance Rick had shit himself. Or died. Hopefully if it was the first, the second followed pretty quick.

Their eyes met and held for a few seconds. Daryl didn't say anything else and the look on his face was completely neutral. For the first time maybe since he'd known him, Rick couldn't get a single read on what was inside the man's head. Other than the fact that he didn't seem to be angry at all.

And then he was gone and Rick was left alone to spend a few minutes more in what he was starting to think of as Daryl's spot. He dipped his head back down for another deep breath. The thought crossed his mind that he could be heading down a bad road. One where there wasn't any coming back. Not when everything could get so fucked up so fast.

Rick was sitting on the side of his bed, taking deep breaths like Hershel told him to. Slow down, let go, and make peace. Their home was safe. Their people were safe.

He was just about to lie down when Daryl slipped through the curtain that served as Rick's door. He propped his crossbow against one wall and Rick snorted. "You movin' in now?"

"Didn't make as much noise last night. Figured I'd just start out here. Okay?"

Rick stared at him. That was the first time since whatever this was started that Daryl had actually asked if this was okay.

Rick nodded, climbing under one sheet, pulling one corner up for Daryl, who automatically shook his head. Rick patted the bed. "About this morning...maybe I only did that because you were cold?"

"Wasn't cold," Daryl grunted.

Rick patted the bed again and Daryl gave in. He kicked his boots off and slipped under the sheet. They barely fit together, Rick on his side and Daryl on his back. A few tense minutes passed where they just lay there in silence. It wasn't awkward to the point of being uncomfortable, but just this side of it.

"Dammit," Daryl said, rolling onto his side facing away from Rick, "you ain't gonna cuddle up on me or some shit?"

"I don't think I can guarantee anything anymore." Rick waited for this to be the time Daryl decides to not put up with him. To leave.

Daryl just gave him another grunt, staying right where he was. This time the dream didn't come at all. He didn't see Lori or Shane or Carl. Not even that damn old pickup of Shane's. He went to sleep easy and woke up easier, wrapped in an amazing warmth. This is good. This is what good feels like.

Rick realized this is what Hershel kept telling him to feel. This is what safe feels like.

The bubble popped rather suddenly as the bed jumped. The warmth vanished and Rick hazarded a look to find Daryl on the side of the bed hunched over his knees. Panic punched Rick right in the gut. He didn't know what he'd do if something was really wrong with him. If anything happened to Daryl.

Rick opened his mouth to let loose what was sure to be an embarrassing amount of concern and Daryl shot up, pushing his hair back from a face that showed the same level of panic he was feeling.

Daryl took a shaking breath and let out a colorful series of the word, "Shit."

Rick snapped his eyes shut, rolling so his arm fell limp across the bed when Daryl looked down at him. This time, he made sure to wait for Daryl's footsteps before opening his eyes again. He lay there a few more minutes, hating how big the small bed seemed when he was all alone.

One thought clawed its way out of the weird static that tended to fill his mind more often than not. That warmth, that good, that _safe_ that had been all around him when he woke up this morning had been Daryl. Spooned up tight against him.

Rick's good mood dropped off through the day as the archer seemed very intent on avoiding him. By night, his heart ended up somewhere in the realm of his feet. He knew it was over. Daryl had freaked himself out and he wouldn't be coming back.

Rick sat on the side of his bed, feeling hollow. Then the curtain pulled back and there he was. As if nothing had happened this morning, Daryl propped the crossbow up, kicking off his boots as Rick let out a long breath. He slid until his back was up against the wall to make sure he didn't crowd Daryl.

Rick was surprised that in the morning he couldn't remember dreaming anything even though they didn't touch at all in the night. Somehow, even the gap between them was still a comfortable one.

Another surprise came when he got to the former cafeteria. The others were gathered around a map on a table.

Daryl looked up and they locked eyes. "Hey, Rick, thinkin' about makin' a run today."

"What?" Rick didn't know why, but he felt the knots forming in his stomach. Chills ran over his skin.

"Was lookin' over the map and Glenn caught a small town not too far from here. Should be back by night." The whole time he was talking, Daryl kept dropping his eyes, bouncing them back up to Rick's again several times.

Rick nodded when he realized they were waiting for him to say something. He looked where Glenn was pointing on the map. "You want me to come or...?"

Glenn clapped him on the shoulder. "Nah. You stay and hold down the fort. Maggie, Daryl, and I've got this."

The words were all the right ones – the tone of his voice, too – but it was all there in his eyes. In the nerves showing through his smile. Glenn still didn't trust him. Not that Rick had really given him any reason to after the...crazy. The bulk of the crazy, anyway. Rick wasn't fooling himself with anything other than the truth that he was still standing on the edge of the abyss. Probably always would be.

Rick tried to return a smile of his own. "Yeah. You guys be careful out there. Bring back something nice."

Rick headed to the pantry to find some little thing to eat despite the fact that his appetite had vanished. He was looking through boxes of stale cereal when Daryl said his name.

Rick didn't even look up. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Just wanted to check...you know, even if the town is close, things can happen. Might not be back 'til tomorrow."

Rick caught where he was going easy because he was already there. "I'm a grown man, Daryl, I think I can handle sleeping alone in my own bed."

Daryl bobbed his head. "I know...okay. Okay."

"Plus, I know you." Rick said when Daryl's back was to him. "You'll be back tonight."

Daryl snorted and was gone.

If there was one thing Rick knew about Daryl Dixon, it was that the man could take care of himself. The Wonder Twins, too. So he wasn't worried when the sun started going down and they still weren't back. The thought that something could be wrong never even crossed his mind.

Not until he was alone in that small, dark cell. Just himself and Rick Grimes. He sat with his eyes shut, breathing. Slow down, let go, peace. He curled his right hand into a tight fist when the whole hand started to shake.

Daryl knows what he's doing. He always knows what he's doing. Better than Rick. This was his world. The three of them were holed up somewhere, working on a way to get back home.

Rick flashed back on the morning he woke up before Daryl, the man lying on his back with his face turned toward him. Like he'd wanted Rick to see him like that. Like he was fine letting Rick see that. He still caught Daryl swatting at his face every once in a while and he wondered if Daryl had figured out that it was him and not some random bug.

Rick lay back and waited for sleep to come to him.

 _It's Thanksgiving and they are damned if three fully grown adults can't cook one damn dinner. Two of them being women, they should be fine. But the kitchen is full of smoke. Carl's got Judith outside and Rick is thanking God that it's good enough outside so they can air the house out._

 _Lori and her sister are getting the windows open while Rick is standing in the front door. He jumps at the ringing from his pocket and grabs his phone. "Dammit, Shane, I've been tryin' to call for an hour."_

 _"I said I'd be there, right?"_

 _Rick rolled his eyes as Shane's truck came screeching down the street. He pulled into the driveway and climbed out with a big grin. "I thought you knew better than to let Lori into the kitchen."_

 _"You shut your mouth." Lori came storming out of the house, followed by her sister._

 _Shane came strolling around to the passenger side. "Hey, Rick, you wanna help me with this real quick? Carrie, get the tailgate for me, darlin'?"_

 _"Don't push it, Shane." But she was smiling anyway._

 _Rick took a full minute just to take in the amount of food laid out on the seat and in the floorboard. "There any food left at KFC?"_

 _"I like food. You like food. Carl likes food, don't ya, boy?"_

 _Carl nodded, handing Judith to his mother so he could run around the car to them. His eyes were the size of plates as he looked at the bounty Shane brought. "Holy crap!"_

 _"Hey!" Rick knocked his knuckles into the kid's side. The kid that was damn near as tall as he was._

 _"I think it is holy crap worthy." Shane dropped his arm heavy on Rick's shoulders. "And when we toss the ball later, we'll see just how many bad words I can get out of your mouth, eh?"_

 _Thanksgiving in the back of a pickup. A little chunk of heaven Rick hadn't even known he'd wanted so bad. And it always had to end._

It took Rick a minute to realize what seemed different when he woke up. The sun hadn't come up, yet, leaving the cell in darkness. There was a spot just inside the curtain that seemed darker than the rest. A very familiar shadow. Rick's heart began pounding in his ears.

He jumped up and grabbed the man. "Daryl? When..what...I smell blood. Why do I smell blood?"

"Ain't mine," Daryl grunted.

Rick pressed his forehead to Daryl's, enjoying the feel of him so close. "Were you bit? You have to tell me if you were bit. Please..."

"Ain't listenin'. You wanna pat me down, Officer?"

Rick nodded his head against Daryl's. He slid his hands over Daryl's neck, his shoulders and down his arms. Up under them and down his sides, back, stomach. Down his hips and Rick was crouching to slide his hands over every inch of Daryl's legs he could. When he stood again, he whispered, "Who, then? Glenn? Maggie?"

"They're fine."

"Who?" Rick's lips were so close to Daryl's that he could feel Daryl's every breath passing into his body.

"Not now." Daryl tipped his head the last bit to press their lips together.

It wasn't electricity or fire or anything like that. Just a gentle warmth starting from where their lips met to spread through Rick's body. Like sinking into a bath that was just the perfect temperature. Or being wrapped in an old quilt in front of the fireplace.

Crawling into the space someone's body just left in your bed, still warm from their sleeping.

Daryl's hands slid around Rick's sides to his back, pulling him close until their bodies touched as much as they could. Rick brought his hands up to rest on Daryl's hips. He slowly started backward, bringing Daryl with him.

They were almost to Rick's bed when Daryl stopped him, breaking the kiss. He still trailed his lips a little down his jaw, unable to stop himself. "I'm filthy. Mud and...and blood. Dead stuff."

Rick dug his fingers into Daryl's hips, holding him tight enough to show Daryl that he wasn't going to let him go anywhere just because of a little mess. "Don't care...need to know you're okay...you're here..."

Daryl dropped his head to Rick's shoulder. A tremor ran through his body. Rick ran his hands over Daryl's back. He pressed his lips to Daryl's cheek. "You're home. With me. It's over."

Daryl raised his head then and his face slid against Rick's. "It'll never be over. Not while they keep getting up. Not while we do."

"Then we just won't get up." Rick let go of Daryl only long enough to climb in the bed and then Daryl was curled in against his side.

Neither of them slept. On his back, Rick watched the sheets blocking his cell from other eyes grow lighter. But he was seeing it without actually _seeing_ it. He was lost in a fog of relief that Daryl was back and worry about how he was acting. Rick was good friends with the cracks that signaled crazy and he could see them all over Daryl.

Daryl had helped keep him together. Rick was going to make sure he didn't break into nearly as many pieces as Rick felt he had.

Daryl didn't so much as flinch when there was a small metallic knock on the bars outside his curtain. Arm around a too-still Daryl, Rick gave a soft, "Yes?"

The sheet on his door pulled a little to the side, revealing Carol. Rick waited for her to say something – anything – but it didn't come. She just gave Rick a small nod and he answered the same. The curtain shut and she moved on.

There were other sounds outside, now. Waking sounds, people starting another long day in the apocalypse sounds. No one else disturbed them. Only when the silence had returned – everyone else in another part of the prison – did one of them speak.

"Found a store well-stocked still." Daryl said. "Brought back a pretty good haul."

Rick slowly took up stroking Daryl's back again. "That's good."

"There were a couple kids livin' in that store. Couldn't be older 'an sixteen, both of 'em. Girl was pregnant, Rick."

His hand stopped and Rick could suddenly feel the silence seeping into his body. Daryl went on. "Maggie talked them into comin' back with us. Hershel and all. Me, Glenn, and the boy loaded up the truck. Went back in for one more load and that was when it happened."

Rick stayed silent, letting Daryl go through it on his own. His eyes were open, staring blankly into the wall beside the bed. "Roof started creaking. It was gonna come down. Wrong damn day. The girl was so slow...the boy got around behind her and I was in front.''

Daryl took a deep breath, his body moving against Rick's. "A bar came down through both of them. Almost got me, too. I was lookin' in her eyes when the whole roof came down. Don't know how long I was out. But I heard Glenn and Maggie diggin' when I woke up."

Rick kissed the top of Daryl's head. "I'm sorry. Y'all tried."

"The kids ended up on top of me. My arms were pinned and they were already turnin'. Glenn got to me just in time. Another second..."

Daryl raised up enough to be able to look at him. "Usually I don't care much when I know I'm about to die...only thing in my head was that sound you make when you're dreamin'. You cryin' in the night. Think I started cryin', Rick."

Rick nodded. He could see the fresh trails shining from his eyes right now. Rick held his cheek, rubbing his thumb through one, smearing it. There was no resistance to him guiding Daryl's mouth down to his.

The kiss started off soft, just like before. Their lips moved against each other and then Daryl was moving more of his body onto Rick.

There it was again. The warmth – the safety he felt when Daryl had been wrapped around him before. He'd found it. And he found that he wasn't the only one that needed it.

The way Daryl was kissing him changed. It was like he could feel that everything he needed was inside Rick right now. Rick wanted to give that to him. He let out a small moan, putting his hands on Daryl's thighs.

Daryl shifted on top of him and Rick felt him stiffening against him. The archer's hands slid down to tug at Rick's shirt, but he didn't move to do anything with it. Daryl broke the kiss. Eyes shut, he asked, "Can I...?"

Rick nodded, letting his head fall back so he could really take in the light flush on Daryl's cheeks. The way his lips looked bruised after the change in him.

Daryl sat up, dragging Rick's t-shirt up and off of him. He dropped it to the floor and, hands shaking, set to mapping out every inch of Rick's chest and stomach. He lingered on the scar that had put Rick in that coma. Rick lay as still as he could, scared to death that he'd do something to spook the man. At the same time, he wasn't sure that he would have been able to do anything other than just be absorbed in the tentative fascination on the other man's face as he touched him.

"Rick, I don't...I don't know what to do with..." he waved his hand between their bodies, "this."

Softer than Rick had ever heard his own voice, he answered, "I do."

Daryl's head snapped up, his eyes a mixture of shock and anger. "How?"

It was Rick's turn to look anywhere but at Daryl. "A long time ago...a friend of mine thought he might be gay, so he tried out some stuff on me. He wasn't, but..."

Daryl swallowed and the sound seemed loud as a thunderclap. "But?"

Rick licked his lips. Thinking about Shane – the good times and the bad – made his chest hurt something awful. Anyone other than Daryl and he wouldn't have even gone into it. "I dove into girls after that. Fell for Lori and then Carl came along and I just didn't think about it until..."

Daryl's eyes bored into him, but he didn't say anything until Rick flicked his eyes to his and got caught in them. "'til what?"

"Until I realized how much I loved sharing the bed with you. You still being here when I woke up. The way the bed always stayed warm even when you left." He felt his face warm. "That morning when you were all wrapped up around me."

Daryl's mouth fell open. "Shit, you _were_ awake. I thought..."

"Hershel keeps on tellin' me that I need to focus on the fact that we're safe here. But I couldn't even remember what safe felt like until that morning. Feeling you all warm and alive and I wanted to stay there forever." His mouth pulled and suddenly Rick found himself grinning. "Plus it felt pretty good to not be the one cuddlin' you in the night for once."

Daryl stared down at him, one corner of his mouth twitching toward a smile. In a smooth move, he rolled off of Rick to his back in the space between him in the wall. Panicked, Rick half-sat up. "What are you doing?"

Daryl brought his right hand up to gnaw on the end of his finger. "You said you know what you're doin', so I just...please..."

The tension flowed out of Rick as fast as it had appeared. In its place grew a sort of anticipation. He leaned to kiss Daryl, rolling so that one of his knees could slide up between Daryl's. Rick slid his hand down Daryl's front to the hem of his shirt under the vest. He went to push his hand up under it and Daryl had a hold of his wrist quick as a whip.

Rick pulled back. Daryl's eyes weren't on him and he gave a little shake of the head. If he'd let go of Rick's wrist, Rick would have gotten up right then, assuming this was Daryl's way of backing out and as much as it would have hurt, Rick would have let him.

But Daryl's grip on him was strong, keeping him from doing anything with his shirt, not pulling him away. He only released him when Rick pulled. Rick sat up with his hands on Daryl's belt, not unhooking it, just letting them rest there. "You want this? Me? Like this?"

Daryl stared up at him and Rick waited. This was the last out he was going to give him and they both knew it. Daryl reached out to run his hands over Rick's sides, down to carefully push his fingers under the waist of Rick's jeans. He curled his hands into fists and one rough jerk had Rick falling forward.

Rick's hands flew out to catch himself on the mattress. Daryl slid his hands up Rick's sides and around to the back of his neck so he could pull him the rest of the way down. "Yeah...for a long time. Now hurry up and do what you're gonna do."

Rick smiled until Daryl's kiss took it away. He slid his hands down between them to tug Daryl's belt open and then his jeans. This time when Rick sat up, he pulled Daryl's jeans – no underwear – down low enough that his cock was free. He looked up to Daryl's face as he wrapped one hand around it.

The archer's whole body tensed. Rick gripped him before setting to a slow stroke, making sure to touch every inch. Daryl's eyes fluttered shut and he rocked up into the hand. "Rick..."

Keeping his hand on Daryl's cock, Rick moved to straddle his thighs. He opened his own jeans one-handed, shoving them and his briefs down to free himself. Rick looked up to find Daryl's eyes on him. He slid forward until their cocks bumped against each other.

Daryl jumped and then he was reaching to take Rick's cock in hand. "This it? Thought you were gonna do somethin' else."

After a few strokes, Rick pulled Daryl's hand off his cock. Instead, he lined their cocks up together, wrapped both their hands around them. Daryl's moan dragged one out of Rick. "This now. That later."

"No time," Daryl gasped, "could die..."

"You won't. Fuck, I'm so close..."

Daryl squeezed them both, nodding. "Come."

Rick barely registered the white ropes appearing on Daryl's vest. He did get a good look at Daryl's face at the moment it happened, though, and it was maybe the most beautiful thing he'd seen. Daryl had his lip tight between his teeth to muffle the groan that was trying to fight its way out.

Rick lost it with the feel of Daryl's pulse so hard against him. The warmsafehome washed over him – wrapped around him until he couldn't believe he hadn't been feeling this all along. Whatever existed before didn't matter half as much as this. As the man working his way back to a normal breath beneath him.

He was about to roll into the free space in the bed when Daryl pulled him down into a relaxed kiss. Rick shifted to settle more comfortably on him as the kiss went on and on. He was the one to break it, though, trailing his lips down Daryl's scratchy jaw to his neck. Rick lay his head on Daryl's shoulder, easing to the side where he could half-lay on the bed and not just be pressing Daryl into the mattress.

After a few moments of relaxed silence, Rick said, "I know about the scars."

Daryl tensed under him, but Rick hurried on. "I saw them back at Hershel's farm. I came by to check on you when you were hurt. Whatever Hershel gave you for the pain, it knocked you out. Sheet was down around your waist and I saw them. I don't care about them. No...shit...it's...I care, but they're you and I ain't gonna ask about them if you don't want to tell me."

Daryl was quiet for a few minutes and then, "Shit...should've said somethin' sooner. Now I got stuff all over my shirt...vest...know what it's gonna take to clean this? Ain't got no Dry Cleaners no more."

Rick snorted, sitting up to look at him. "I didn't want to kill the mood. You would've let me take your clothes off?"

Daryl nodded. "Now I'm hot and covered in your..."

"Yours, too." Rick kissed him. He slid his hand down to the bottom of Daryl's shirt and pushed it up under the fabric. Daryl's hand snapped to his wrist again, but this time he didn't pull him back or stop him. Just held on in a loose grip. Rick kept on, blindly mapping him as far as he could.

"You gotta get the vest off first," Daryl breathed.

Rick went up a little further to gently roll one of Daryl's nipples between his fingers. His sharp gasp was worth the way the shirt was digging into Rick's wrist. They bobbed together in several quick kisses before Rick shot up with a growl of, "Fuck!"

He shoved the vest off Daryl's shoulders, helping him worm out. In the next second, up went the shirt over Daryl's head. Daryl gave him the most amazing look of shock and then Rick was diving in to lick and suck at the front of Daryl's neck. He eased down, running his lips over every bit of Daryl he could get to.

It pulled the most delicious groan from Daryl when he pressed his tongue flat to one of his nipples. Rick felt Daryl's fingers in his hair a second before he noticed the way Daryl's body was moving against the bed. Hips angled up to try for whatever friction he could get. Daryl pushed him down, letting out a small, "Rick..."

Rick rose up enough to look down at Daryl's cock. It was already working on getting hard again. "Geez, Daryl, that was fast."

"Shouldn't o' kept touchin' me if you didn't want more."

A smile tugged Rick's lips. "Are you saying if I just keep playing with you, you'll keep getting hard?"

Daryl gave a half-shrug. "Maybe...never really tested it."

"We will...sometime." Rick kissed the bone at Daryl's hip.

Daryl pushed up into it with a moan. "Do what you're gonna do."

Rick shook his head. "Not yet...maybe not even today."

"What? Why?" Daryl half sat up, a look of panic crossing his face.

Rick ran his hands over Daryl's thighs to calm him. "I'm just sayin' that maybe we keep that for some other time. Give you a reason to keep coming back here."

"Come back 'til you tell me not to," Daryl mumbled.

"Then you won't mind if I do some more exploring now."

Daryl threw his head back into the pillow when Rick licked up the bottom of his cock. He let out a groan that sounded a lot like Rick's name. Rick stood Daryl's cock up like tower. "Name your last blowjob."

Daryl shook his head, looking down at him. "Ain't never had nothin' anyone wanted enough to do that."

Rick stroked him from base to tip several times, real slow. "Well, that ain't true."

"Rick..."

"For instance, I want something bad enough to ignore how you ain't showered the stink off you in a bit."

Daryl shut his eyes, rocking up into the stroking. "Like what?"

"Seein' you come again." Before Daryl could react, Rick had sucked all of his cock into his mouth.

"Fuck!" The exclamation was only a whisper as if that was all Daryl could muster. He was still propped up on his elbows and his head tipped back.

Rick looked up his body – admiring the perfection of it as he worked Daryl's cock deeper in his throat. Daryl's head tipped forward again when Rick pulled almost all the way off. They locked eyes and Rick kept them that way until it was physically impossible. The second his eyes shifted away, Daryl's hips jumped, unintentionally shoving his cock all the way into his throat.

Rick gagged, pulling off as spit poured down Daryl's cock to pool around it. He gave a few more weak coughs when he was free.

"Rick, fuck, I'm sorry...I didn't...um..." Daryl drifted off when Rick looked up at him, lips swollen and his chin shining with spit. Rick smiled and lifted Daryl's leg so he could kiss the inside of his thigh.

Daryl moaned at the kiss and the feel of Rick's spit on his thigh. He jumped when Rick ran his teeth over his skin. A shiver followed it and Rick went as far as biting him. He kept it soft until Daryl started squirming his hips on the mattress. He dug his teeth in more until Daryl was tugging gently on his hair.

"Rick, please...want you..."

Rick moved back over his cock and Daryl tugged on his hair again so that Rick looked up. "Want _you._ "

"Daryl, I..."

Daryl shoved his hair back from his face. "I was going to die. If Glenn hadn't been able to get to me..."

Rick nodded, he knew exactly what Daryl was feeling. Any or all of them could die at any minute. There wasn't time to dance around shit.

He gathered up as much of the spit around the base of Daryl's cock as he could. Rick smeared it over Daryl's entrance and felt him automatically tense.

Rick kissed his thigh. "Trust me?"

Daryl nodded. Rick slowly worked one finger into him. The old memory hit with such force that Rick nearly missed the sound Daryl made with just the tip of his finger inside.

 _'Shane...stop. Stopstopstop.' Rick couldn't breathe, his heart was pounding so hard. This was a mistake. A stupid, stupid mistake. He just might throw up._

 _Shane gave him that look he'd perfected even then. The one that said he was going to do exactly what he wanted to do. 'Rick, come on. You said you'd do it. Might not be good now, but you know it's gotta get better or why the hell would guys keep doing it?'_

 _'It...hurts.' Not entirely true, it only stung a little and he'd gotten worse in baseball. He'd been catching himself looking at Shane more lately and it was just now hitting him with one of Shane's fingers in his ass that this might've been a bad decision._

Daryl shifted his hips. "That it? Thought there'd be more."

Rick realized with a start that he'd zoned out so completely, he hadn't noticed his finger sliding all the way inside Daryl and it had just been sitting there. Putting all of his attention on Daryl, he pressed a kiss to the bite mark on his thigh.

"Sorry," Rick twisted his finger, finding Daryl relaxed enough to start squeezing a second finger inside. "Just been such a long time."

Daryl gave a small grunt. Just one look at his face told Rick that he knew that wasn't the reason he'd zoned out. In his eyes, Rick could see that Daryl knew he'd been thinking about someone else and the way he shifted his face away from Rick told him Daryl thought that was okay. Rick got the feeling that he'd almost expected it.

But it wasn't okay. Rick had to show him how far from okay it was. He kissed and nibbled at the skin of his thigh while his fingers stretched and searched inside Daryl. He was already shutting down, Rick could tell, and he had to bring him back before that happened.

Daryl gave him the exact reaction he'd wanted when his fingers brushed his prostate. He sucked in a gasp, his head shooting up to look at him. His muscles tightened around his fingers when he pushed it on purpose. Daryl's head rolled back, eyes shut. "Rick...that..."

"Good?" Rick spread his fingers on their way out before thrusting them back in.

Daryl opened his mouth and all that came out was an airy high note from his throat. Rick added a third finger and Daryl rocked his hips, fucking down onto Rick's thrusts. Looking at him, Rick wasn't even sure Daryl knew he was doing it.

Rick smiled at the groan Daryl let out when he pulled his fingers free. He had never heard the hunter sound so needy. "Don't stop..."

"Nah...but I gotta do something with this," he gestured down to where his cock was so hard, "before it falls off."

Daryl's eyes stayed locked on Rick's cock even when Rick gathered what was left of the saliva around the base of Daryl's. He ran his hand over his own and said, "We don't have to do this if you – "

"Rick..." Daryl dragged his name out in a groaning growl that made Rick's head swim. Daryl grabbed him, pulling him up into a kiss. "Fuck me."

The words weren't any more than a breath against Rick's lips, but he heard them and they drove him nuts. And it really did him in when Daryl threw his legs up to squeeze Rick's hips with his thighs. Rick shifted them around a bit and then he was pushing into Daryl.

The whole prison seemed to fall still. They were the only people in the world right now. It shocked him how easy Daryl opened up to him. How he just took him in until there was nothing left. Rick took a minute for himself as much as to let Daryl adjust to him.

Careful with his breathing, Daryl ran his hands up Rick's arms to squeeze his upper arms. He pulled Rick closer. Before their lips could touch, Daryl sucked in a breath so fast that Rick felt the air vanish between them.

Rick moved back only enough to be able to see his face. "What? Does it hurt?"

Daryl swallowed and Rick tensed, readying himself to pull out. "Did...now, you just gotta move or somethin'. Fuck..."

Rick didn't need to be told twice, but the slight rocking of Daryl's hips, moving himself on Rick's cock as much as he could, sure as hell didn't hurt. Daryl tightened on Rick's way out and Rick wasted no time filling him up again.

He set an easy pace, not feeling any real need to rush this along. Not yet. Daryl's eyes were squeezed shut for a minute. They opened when his mouth did with a small sound as Rick found that place again. With a place to aim for – Rick getting a vague memory about how that felt – he upped the speed.

There was a moment where Daryl was frozen in shock and then he started meeting Rick's thrusts. He squeezed Rick's shoulders before pulling him into a kiss. "Gonna come, Rick..."

Rick snaked a hand between them and all it took was wrapping his hand around Daryl's cock for the archer to let out a moan louder than any so far.

Rick braced his hands on the bed at Daryl's head and let go, pounding him hard until he was coming. He stilled and Daryl moaned again. "God, is that...?"

Rick pulled out and rolled to squish himself in the small space between Daryl and the wall. Being as boneless as they were, it wasn't so hard. "Sorry, I should've asked if you were okay with that."

Daryl shifted his hips on the mattress. "Liked it when you were doin' it. Feels kinda weird now. Open...and wet."

Rick too a shaking breath, shutting his eyes. "I really hope you're not trying for another round. After that, I'm gonna be surprised if my dick doesn't go on vacation."

There wasn't any answer. Rick's mouth fell open the second he cracked his eyes open. Daryl had leaned up a little, spreading his legs more. One of his hands was down between them. He lifted it out with a dollop of what could only be cum – his cum, a little voice reminded Rick.

A whine cracked on its way out of Rick. "What are you doing?"

The look Daryl gave him was a little dazed, his words coming wiith an almost drunken slur. "It's just comin' out anyway."

With another strangled sound, Rick kissed the archer again. Daryl moved onto his side. They made out for a couple minutes until they were positive nothing else was going to happen with their bodies. Rick stared at him while Daryl's eyes looked a little off to the side.

Suddenly, Rick snorted. "So when was that shower going to happen?"

Daryl cuddled closer to him and the affection still kinda surprised Rick even after what they just did. He yawned. "I'll think about it when I think I can walk."

Rick found his sheet and fought to get it up over them. He went to sleep in Daryl's arms and woke up again in them. No dreams, just rest. As he watched Daryl sleep, he realized what happened.

Rick didn't need to see that little heaven all the time anymore because that wasn't the only glimpse he could have. Glimpses of Heaven hid everywhere, even in Hell. Maybe especially in Hell. Some day he might end up having that KFC Thanksgiving out the back of Shane's pickup, Daryl at his side and their family all around. Not for a long time, if they're lucky, but some day. Until then, Rick'd take all the little heavens where he found them.


End file.
